A retired non-commissioned officer in Sinop was prosecuted for sharing photos of Mahir Çayan and his friends on his Facebook account with the note “with gratitude before their memories” and was sentenced to a fine of 920 TL, equivalent to 46 days. The prosecution considered these posts to be “MLKP terrorist organization propaganda” in the indictment; however, in its ruling, the court defined Mahir Çayan as an “MLKP militant,” changed the nature of the crime, and ruled on the charge of “praising the crime and the criminal” under Article 215 of the Turkish Criminal Code, increasing the penalty on the grounds of consecutive crimes. One judge, in a dissenting opinion, argued that the posts fell within the scope of freedom of expression and that the defendant should be acquitted. The defendant’s lawyer, Tacettin Çolak, stated that Mahir Çayan was not a leader of the MLKP but of the THKP-C in 1972, arguing that “it is impossible to praise the propaganda of a non-existent organization and a non-existent criminal,” and that the decision was contrary to procedure and law. He filed an appeal with the Samsun Regional Court of Appeals.
November 29, 2025
sendika.org